Summer Lunch Program Set to Begin

As Florida schools get out for the summer, more than one million students who rely on free and reduced-price meals will have to look elsewhere for food.

Because of this need, the state Department of Agriculture will soon start its Summer BreakSpot program, which provides free meals and snacks for kids at thousands of locations statewide.

Department of Ag spokesperson Kinley Tuten says Summer BreakSpot provided 15 million meals at more than 4,600, churches and community centers from June through August last year.

“Nutrition is one of the most important building blocks for academic success,” Tuten said. “This program helps give kids access to the resources they need to stay healthy and ready to learn and it sets them up for the next school year.”

The Summer BreakSpot program has grown by more than 20 percent in recent years.